Stropping or sharpening apparatus for razor-blades



S. B. EARLE,

STROPPING OR SHARPENING APPARATUS FORVRAZOR BLADES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 14, I917.

Patented Oct. 4, 1921.

3 SHEETSSHEET 1- S. B. EARLE,

STROPPIN G 0R SHARPENING APPARATUS FOR RAZOR BLADES.

APPLICATION FILGD FEB. 14, I917 Patented Oct. 4, 1921.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

s. B. EARLE. I STROPPING OR SHARPENING APPARATUS FOR RAZOR BLADES.

AiPLlCATION FILED TEB.14, 1917- LSQQ SUQ.

Patented Oct. 4, 1921 3 SHEETS SHEET 3.

STANLEY BEAUMONT EARLE,

OF HORNCHURCH, ENGLAND.

STROIPING OR SHABPENING APPARATUS FOR RAZOR-BLADES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented oee. 4, 1921.

Application filed February 14, 1917. Serial No. 148,577.

To all whom it may concern:

- Be it known that I, STANLEY BEAUMoNTj EARLE, a subject of His Majesty K ng George Vv of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of the British Dominions beyond the Sea and Emperor of India, residing at Great Nelmes, Horn church, Essex, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stropping or Sharpening- Apparatus for Razor- Blades and the like, of which the following isaspecification.

This invention has relation to razor blade and the like stropping or sharpening apparatus of the type in which the blade or implement to be stropped orsharpened is introduced between two stropping or sharpening rollers which are driven in opposite directions to act upon the presented-sides of thecutting edge tosharpen such edge, by a gear train of the planet-gear character,

the axis of the sun-wheel being coincident with a hinging axis on which the rollers may be hinged toward and away from each other while the gearwheels remain in mesh.

The present invention aims to provide a stropping or sharpening apparatus of the foregoing class which shall give notable facilities for applying a razor blade or the like thereto or removing it therefrom and which at the same time shall be of a simple, durable, and efiective'character; also that shall be capable of production under favorable conditions with regard to manufacturing economies.

In a stropping or sharpening appa-i ratus according 'to the present invention, stropping or sharpening rolls having the gearing between them of the character hereinabove described, are provided with helical sharpening portions which bear for sharpening on non-opposite parts of the blade edge so as to tend .to temporarily spring-flex the blade to a frill-like edge,

and the upper roll is so hin ed as to rise from the appertaining side 0 the bladeedge, and to recede therefrom in a direction away from and at rightanglesto the blade edge, thereby allowin a .clear and unobstructeddrop of the blade to bring its edge on and tangent to the lower roll, guiding and positioning means of the steady pin character being provided for determining or fixing the position of the blade.

With such a stropping or sharpening apparatus the interspacing of' the roller axes in the stropping position of the rollers can be determined and controlled so as to cause the helical stropping or sharpening surfaces to exert a'desired amount of pressure upon the opposite sides of the cutting edge such as to tend to temporarily spring-flex the blade to a frill-like edge, anddespite the opening of the rolls to allow a clear and unobstructed drop of the blade as described,

the proper relative position of the-helical windings for stropping is always automatically maintained by the gear wheels, as these by virtue of the rolling upwhich is allowed, remain in mesh and keep the rollers positively inter-controlled for preventing the original setting from becoming disturbed by the rolls becoming relatively angularly displaced on their axes while being opened or closed.

Thus can be realized a" device, in which (a) introduction of the blade to definite stropping position, and (b) withdrawal 'of the blade after stropping, is notably easy with freedom from (1) risk or danger of injury to either the blade or the stropping or sharpening surfaces, and (2) liability of the stropping or sharpening surfaces spring-flexing the blade to a frill-like edge. The tangency of the pitch circles of the gear wheels being automatically preserved, controlled adjustment of the stropping or sharpening rollers is possible. Also it greatly facilitates (a) introduction of the blade to definite stropping position, and (b) withdrawal of the blade after stropping.

The pressure above referred to ,may be rigidly or yieldingly exerted and in either case there maybe a controlled adjustment of the pressure asbya screw adjustment.

In the drawings Figures 1 and l together represent a side elevation of the blade sharpener as mounted or set'atone end of a razor-containing case or box, and as viewed with the front side of the boxremoved, and the lid of the case or box opened to lie parallel with the base.

Figs. Q-and 2 together form a view similar to Figs. 1 and 1 but differing therefrom in the particular that whereas in Figs. 1 and 1 the upper sharpening roller is illustrated as opened away from the blade, this upper roller is illustrated in Figs. 2 and 2 as closed down onto the lower roller.

losing their proper relative positions for a and positioning member.

Fig. 5 is a. side elevation of a duplicatlon of stropping mechanism as herein described suited to strop the opposite sides of both cutting edges of a double edged blade simultaneously.

-teferring to the drawings 1 and 2 designate a pair of sharpening rolls having helical sharpening portions 1" and 2 arranged to bear for sharpening on non-opposite parts of; theedge of a blade, with the object of teinding to temporaril spring-flex the blade to a frill-like edge. fihe rolls 1 and 2 are connected for drive of rotation and intercontrolled opening and closing by a toothed gear train 3, 4, 5, and 6, and are rotatably mounted in frames or carriers 7 and 8, frame 7 carrying the roller- 1 and being mounted in a razor-containing case or box 9, and frame 8 being hinged to frame 7 on an axis which is coincident with the axis of the gear 6, this gear 6 being free on the hinging axis and being driver to gear 4 and follower to gear 5, which gear 5 is in turn follower to gear 3.

The frames or carriers 7 and 8am formed so as to allow the rollers 1 and 2 to. be pressed toward each other for temporarily spring-flexing the blade to a frill-like edge, and so as to allow the upper roller 2 to open away from the lower .roller 1 to allow a clear and unobstructed drop of the blade to bring its ,edge on, and tangent to the lower roll. As shown, the frames'7 and 8 are of U-shape and the"upper and lower edges of their-sides, which sides lie in the same vertical plane are so sloped away from each other asiat 10 and 10 that on the one hand a range of movement is given'by which the frill-like edge can be imparted to the blade over a considerable variation in thickness of the stropping surfaces (see Fig. 1) whereby a substantial amount of wear of the stropping surfaces is allowed for, and that on the 2 other hand a range of separating movement or rising movement around the hinging axis is given by which the upper roller 2 can be opened or raised and caused to recede in a direction away from and at right angles to the edge of the blade to leave a clear and unobstructed drop of the blade past the'upper roller 2 onto the lower roller 1, (see Fig. 1). When the sharpener is fully opened as depicted in Fig. 1, the center of gravity of the upper roller 2 and its hinging carrier is brought to the right of the hinging axis and the sloping edges of the two carriers interact as rests or'stops as at 10 for sup-- porting the roller 2 and its carrier in the fully opened position.

Th lid 11 of the case or box 9 is by preference arranged to open on a. hinging axis at right angles to the hinging axis of the rolls and when the case or box 9 isclosed the arrangement is made such that the lid 11 shall put pressure on the sharpener 'to keep the rollers to their work. Conveniently and advantageously provision of an intervening spring is made, this giving softness in action or latitude in position and wear. A bowspring 12 integral or otherwise made fast with the carrier 8 as a forward medial extension thereof serves well. 'But in place of a single spring two or more may be employed to promote evenness of bearing action on the blade edge.

Provision for directing the blade and holding .it to definite position may take divers forms according to the formation of the razor 'or blade to be directedand held. It will in this direction sufiice as an example to explain directing and positioning means of a steady pin character which is appropriateto that well known razor depicted in the accompanying drawings, this razor, designated 13, being of that type in which the blade is movable from shaving relation with I its guard so as to allow contact of a stroption of the blade 14 and guard 15 0:5

razor 13, a slot 16 is present: hence by the provision of an appropriately proportioned uprising pointed or inverted V-ended plate 17 having rectangular notches 18, the razor may be safely directed and held by bringing the slot over the point of the plate 17 which by entering, the slot guides the razor into the notches 18, the walls whereof co-act with the corresponding parts of the razor to support and position this; the'handle of the razor is received by a seating 19. In this way a proper and safe positioning of the blade is determined or fixed.

2O designates a locking pawl for prevent-- ingrotation of the sharpening rollers 1 and 2 toward the cutting edge either by inadvertent rotation of-the turning handle 21 or i by any tendency of the lower roller 1 to turn.

during the closing down of the upper roller 2. In this connection the precaution may be adopted of allowin the blade to lie Spring supported clear of the lower roller 1, so that the blade edge shall only be brought into contact with the sharpening portions of the lower roll 1 by the pressure of the upper roller 2 as this completes its closing movement. I 1

By preference the turning crank-handle 21 is hinged at 22 to in-fold as depicted in dotted outline in Fig. '3, an opening being made in the front-side of the. box to allow.

this.

By duplication ofstropping mechanism as herein described stropping apparatus suited gears 3, 4t, 5, and 6, arranged and operating substantially as herein set forth and both pairs of stropping rollers being mounted to cooperate in receiving the opposite edges of a blade suitably supported as by a studded bracket 26 (two studs being provided for engaging a pairof holes in the blade) between the two pairs of strop ing rollers. In this construction the two gear trains will be suitably connected as by the gears 27 28, for drive from a common axis, as the axis of the right hand lower roller 1.

Such a duplex device may be conveniently and advantageously boxed-in (with or without spring provision such as 12) in like or similar manner to the single device above described, and for the purposes above described.

The embodiment of the invention in boxed form with a complete razor substantially as herein described gives the notable advantage that on taking up the case'or box for use the blade may be sharpened or prepared by turning the handle before the case. is opened. What I claim is z- A device for stropping razor blades comprising incombinatlon, a pair of rolls each of which'is provided with an outwardly projecting spirally disposed stropping surface, the stropping surfaces between said rolls being respectively disposed between the stropping surfaces of the other roll, means mounting said rolls to permit them to be moved apart for insertion of a blade therebetween and pressed together to grip the blade with the stropping surfaces on each roll pressing the blade toward the space between the stropping surfaces of the other roll, gearing connecting said rolls and permitting them to be moved apart and positively maintained in the same angular relation-"when brought together, a box within which said rolls and their mounting are inclosed, and a resilient device adapted upon the lid of said'box being c'l'osed-to-urge said rolls toward one another.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature.

STANLEY BEAUMONT EARLE. 

